Thoughts on books, religion, gardening, The Holy, and a priest's good life of semi-retirement

November 2014

November 02, 2014

Hello. Here I am again. I've retired (well, semi-retired). I live in Buffalo now, not on the Cumberland Plateau. I've left my beautiful little church, my beautiful house, my beautiful (too big) gardens. I'm still trying to downsize. I've left a 4-bedroom house and now live in two rooms. My garden is now a small backyard - something more like what I can manage. I live in a great city with my best friend, and spend lots of time with dear people, doing things I love. I have time to experiment and try things out. I have a new computer. My new car, after hitting a deer and spending a month in the shop, is working out great, except the AAA guy tells me I've got to drive it more, because of its teeny-tiny battery needing a longer charge. Everything is very close to home here. I walk a lot. I also got a new (to me)/used French 5-speed bicycle that I ride pretty often. I take a few yoga classes. I only set my alarm on Sunday, usually.

I don't do full-time parish work anymore. I work Sunday and one other day for a dear parish (more about that sometime), and I work Thursday night at a service that's designed for the 12-step community. I love it all. Sometime I'm going to record some of that Thursday service and post it here, because it's so unique.

It's getting very close to snow season. We had a few flakes yesterday, but none stuck. Today was gorgeous, but cool. Though the fall leaves are past their peak, my street is still drop-dead gorgeous.

I'm planning another trip to France sometime in the late spring, this time with good friends. I'll drive around in the mountains and look for Black Madonnas. But Provence will be home base, and I'll be with a couple of French-speakers.

I want to tell you much more about all of it. There are so many open doors and coincidences, that it all feels meant-to-be. But I'm still here, yes, still alive and kicking and with my darling Clementine (dog), since dear Buddy went to heaven shortly before I left Tennessee.